Exergio highlights missed opportunity for operational AI at COP30

VILNIUS, Lithuania, 19 November 2025: Exergio said the COP30 summit overlooked one of the fastest ways to cut energy waste in buildings despite more than 80 countries backing a roadmap to end fossil fuels. Making the announcement through a Press Release, company said global attention remained centred on fossil fuel phase-out commitments and the growing energy needs of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centres while operational AI for buildings was absent from climate strategies.

Exergio said the debate focused on the energy consumed by AI rather than its potential to reduce emissions in the building sector, which it said accounts for nearly 30 per cent of global CO₂ emissions and remains one of the slowest industries to decarbonise. Donatas Karčiauskas, CEO, Exergio, said this is where climate negotiators should be looking. “AI is constantly framed as a new burden. What’s interesting is that the same machine-learning methods that drive energy use in data centres can cut emissions at the point where most electricity is actually consumed, in buildings,” he said.

Exergio said operational AI allows buildings to adjust consumption in real time by reducing HVAC output in unused spaces, shifting cooling to off-peak hours and responding to outdoor conditions. Karčiauskas said deployments across European and Middle Eastern commercial buildings have reduced HVAC energy use by 20 to 30 per cent, with some sites saving more than €1 million.

Exergio said operational AI remains largely absent from national climate plans despite its technical and scientific foundation. Karčiauskas said demand-side optimisation is still missing from current strategies. “Negotiators are rightly focused on supply-side transitions such as fossil phase-out, renewables, and finance but demand-side optimisation is still missing. AI can act as a digital retrofit for buildings, cutting emissions without waiting for new construction or equipment replacement,” Karčiauskas added.

Exergio said COP30 outcomes and national follow-up plans should formally recognise AI-driven operational optimisation as a decarbonisation measure including within energy performance standards and carbon-credit schemes. “AI will continue to draw electricity, that is inevitable,” Karčiauskas added. “But it can also reduce the demand that forces grids to rely on fossil-fuel backup plants. We don’t have to choose between AI growth and climate goals. If we apply AI where emissions are actually generated, the climate will win,” Karčiauskas said.